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This page presents a brief
resume of Des McGarry's professional expertise
Farmers and researchers view soil compaction under sugarcane
Cane farmers and tyre salespeople get a close look at soil structure in a soil pit at Bundaberg |
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I am a Principal
Scientific Officer with 20 years post-doctoral experience in land management and conservation, environmental resilience
and sustainable agricultural strategy development for agriculture.
In my work I strive to achieve a fully integrated, multi-level and multi-skilled approach, to facilitate resolution
of a broad range of land management issues. The basis is technical expertise in a range of subjects, including:
applied soil physics, field soil mophology, farmer participatory programs for cropping and grazing and soil chemistry
interpretation, at the research, teaching and extension levels.
More generally.
my skills encompass:
- At the technical level, the improvement of intractable soils, both inherent and induced, with the aim of creating
low cost, sustainable cropping systems. Essential has been the establishment of soil physical, chemical and biological
indicators of land quality; used to monitor land use impact and repair programs.
- Skills range from the ability to produce soil surveys and land inventories, to providing practical, environmentally
sound advice to primary produces on sustainable land planning (emphasising individually tailored packages of components
such as, organic matter retention, soil fauna enrichment, interpretation of soil chemical data, controlled traffic,
minimum tillage, flotation tyres and ground cover (break) crops).
- Expertise ranges from the organising and conducting of farmer-empowering, participatory workshops to develop
and teach simple field diagnosis methods to evaluate land quality for cropping and grazing, to detailed soil physical
and chemical measurement of inherent soil properties and land management impact.
- All work is agriculture production oriented - providing integrated, sustainable, practicable land management
systems, founded on both scientific trials, farmer discussion groups and economic rationalism.
- Experience covers climates from the semi-arid to the wet tropics, rain fed and irrigated crops, sands to cracking
clays (Vertisols), across several continents, and small farm holdings (1ha) to large corporate farms (10,000ha),
in both production oriented and soil survey / inventory projects.
- Strong, demonstrated skills in developing and leading integrated, multidisciplinary teams to ensure full and
rapid resolution of land management issues.
- Strong communication skills, at National and International levels applauded for "making land management,
most interesting, challenging and practicable."
- Published widely at many levels (farmer media to international, invited book chapters).
- Strong, demonstrated skills in writing project proposals and attracting external funding from R&D Corporations
and Federal Government agencies.
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